Why you should avoid putting hot food in a commercial refrigerator: risks & best practices?
In this blog, we’ll explore the both the science and risks involved in putting hot food into your commercial refrigeration units.
May 27, 2025
It can be tempting to go for the quick fix. Such as putting your freshly cooked hot food straight into a commercial refrigerator. Being quick is key to being efficient in the kitchen right?
However, putting hot food into a refrigerator comes with a number of risks. It can lead to serious hygiene issues and even effect the appliance itself. This article delves into both the science and risks behind this common catering mistake, with tips and alternatives to help you manage your refrigeration and maintain efficient operations in your business.
How Heat Impacts Refrigeration Efficiency
Temperature tends to reach equilibrium, along with anything else involving energy, such as pressure or movement. The energy levels will balance out over time if nothing interferes. Next time you reach for your cup of tea watch how it cools down, on the contour, to match the room temperature. The heat from your tea simultaneously warms the air around it just a touch. This is defined as thermal equilibrium.
This principle of thermal equilibrium holds the key to the main risk of putting your hot food in a commercial refrigerator, creating an immediate temperature spike inside your appliance.
It’s worth noting that the cooling system in refrigerators are designed to kick in and overcome any heat, transferring it outside the unit and into the air, however adding hot food creates for more work for the appliance than it should have to. Your unit therefore uses more energy and puts more wear and tear on its systems. The temperature of any food around the new input can therefore also rise to unsafe levels before cooling again, breaching hygiene laws.
Exploring Food safety in commercial kitchen
Putting hot food in your commercial refrigerator [HJ1.1]brings significant food safety risks. Food should never stay in the so-named ‘Danger Zone’ (between 8°C and 63°C) for long periods
The moment you put hot food inside the chiller, the temperature inside starts warming up. Whilst the cooling system is designed to work to counteract it, it’ll take significant time to return the temperature to ideal levels. This will take even longer if your appliance is old or requires a service.
Refrigerators should be set between 0°C and 5°C, so it doesn’t take much for the temperature to breach the 8°C mark.
Whilst this is all going on other foods in the fridge (especially those in close proximity to the hot food you put in) are very likely to creep into the danger zone. This encourages harmful bacteria to grow, effecting food safety and food quality. This is very bad news for customer safety and the reputation of the business.
There’s also more to consider with the issue of cross-contamination. During the hot food cooling process, moisture escapes as condensation settles on various objects. This moisture may carry bacteria, increasing the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Moisture and Hot Food
As hot food cools – especially when it cools swiftly – this forms condensation. The moisture within this condensation collects inside the fridge creating issues involving humidity. For example ice can build-up inside the unit, blocking or partially blocking the ventilation and causing ice on the evaporator coils.
In addition, condensation can form on surfaces inside the fridge. This means bacteria can grow, particularly if the temperature’s a little bit too warm and the fan isn’t managing to keep humidity under control.
All this means your refrigerator is forced to work even harder to keep things chilled. Left to its own devices, in this situation, this will lead to blockages, a reduction in airflow, uneven temperatures and performance and maintenance issues with your appliance. Running costs can also rise, plus the quality and safety of the food stored inside are both at risk. As time goes on this issue will likely worsen.
Ideal cooling methods and systems
The good news is you can improve this process and mitigate many of these risks without jeopardising food safety levels or equipment. Here’s a number cooling methods to implement so you don’t have to put hot food directly into your commercial fridge:
- Blast chillers swiftly lower the temperature of hot food. These are designed to cool hot food quickly, helping you to avoid the majority of issues described above.
- Ice baths absorb the heat from hot food swiftly. Use these carefully to lower food temperatures to a safer level before transferring this food it to your commercial refrigerator.
- Shallow containers – As opposed to deep ones –these allow heat to dissipate faster. The warmth doesn’t get ‘trapped’ in the middle as easily. The larger surface area also speeds up the cooling process. A depth of less than 2 inches is often recommended.
- First in, first out rotation – Known as FIFO, this method ensures your food is stored correctly. This reduces the chance of food sitting too long in the danger zone. Don’t forget to keep an eye on your your use-by-date labels, either.
The dangers and costs of ignoring good cooling practices
Neglecting the proper cooling methods and cutting corners can prove costly in more ways than one.
For starters, your fridge’s compressor experiences extra strain, meaning it’ll wear out faster. That means more repairs and possibly even the need to purchase a brand new unit. This also increases food wastage. Not to mention the increased likelihood of damage to your reputation if food safety issues arise.
In other words, maintaining proper cooling practices will save you significant money in the long run.
You’ll reduce the risk of equipment failure, reduce your energy bills, decrease food waste, and safeguard your business reputation. Crucially, you’ll also minimise the risk of foodborne illness. In other words there are huge gains to be had here in sticking to best practices.
That’s where TEFCOLD comes in. Our vast range of commercial refrigeration solutions can you maintain the ideal conditions for your food, beverages and your business as a whole. Explore our website today to view and see prices for our commercial refrigerators, freezers, and other cooling equipment (such as blast chillers). Please don’t hesitate to reach out for friendly, expert advice.